


Blueshift

by eexiee, reflection0112



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Alternate Universe - Space, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-19
Updated: 2016-05-19
Packaged: 2018-06-09 05:32:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,261
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6892120
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eexiee/pseuds/eexiee, https://archiveofourown.org/users/reflection0112/pseuds/reflection0112
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kyungsoo is used to wandering from one side of the universe to the other, picking up odd jobs. He never stays in one place for long, but he may just stick around longer for his most recent gig: security detail on a trading ship captained by one Kim Junmyeon.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Blueshift

The bar is bustling, noisy and humid. The man next to Kyungsoo is laughing far too loud at a joke that was not funny at all, but the girl he’s talking with is pretty. Most of the men are drinking a sludgy-looking beverage that is apparently rather popular here in the BY Zone, but Kyungsoo still can’t stomach it, especially once he had been told it contains lagbar blood. He himself is nursing a Capital Stout, which is a dark beer that not many people out here seem to drink. Kyungsoo’s clearly a stranger here, and as much as he wishes it wasn’t so obvious, he’s never really fit in anywhere he’s ever been, so he’s not terribly worried. At least, right now, he’s successfully keeping a low profile, and that’s the only thing he really cares about. 

 

The man who was laughing too loud vacates his seat as the girl he was courting drags him onto the dance floor, and the seat is immediately filled by one of the guys from the construction site Kyungsoo works on. 

 

“Hey, Do, right?” he smiles. Kyungsoo looks up from his beer. He’s pretty sure this guy’s name is Lu Han, but Kyungsoo has never been very good with names.

 

“Yes,” Kyungsoo deadpans. “That’s me.”

 

“I hear you’ve been looking for some more permanent work,” Lu Han says, flagging down the bartender and ordering that same sludgy drink all the other men are drinking.

 

“I guess so,” Kyungsoo replies, shifting slightly away from Lu Han. The drink smells bad too. “Why do you ask?”

 

“Because a buddy of mine works on a Galactic Navy trading ship that transports goods to the Outer Reaches and they’re looking for a security officer,” Lu Han tells him. “The pay isn’t super good but for a job that services the Outer Reaches, how much can you really expect?”

 

Kyungsoo’s interested. He likes the idea of working in the Outer Reaches and he’d prefer a permanent job, it’s true. It also wouldn’t hurt to work for the Galactic Navy, if they’d take him. “I’m listening,” he says. “Where’s their outpost?”

 

“SN04-CJ12.”

 

“Oh, so it’s really the last exoplanet in the SN Zone,” Kyungsoo breathes, mostly to himself. This could be exactly what he’s looking for. It’s about as far as you can get from the AX Zone and that’s what Kyungsoo needs. “How do I -”

 

“My friend Jongin is the First Mate. If you can get there by Friday - Standard Galactic Federation Time, of course - just tell him I sent you and I doubt you’ll have any issues,” Lu Han grins, taking a gulp of his drink without flinching even a little. How does he do that?

 

“Why don’t you do it?” Kyungsoo asks, because he’s seriously confused as to why Lu Han would offer Kyungsoo this opportunity instead of taking it himself. 

 

“Are you kidding?” Lu Han guffaws. “Didn’t you notice that when you said your ideal work location was the Outer Reaches, everyone _laughed_ at you? Nobody wants to go there, least of all me. I’m working my way _towards_ the Capital, not _away_ from it.”

 

“Well,” Kyungsoo says, wincing slightly as Lu Han takes a thick gulp of his drink. Disgusting. “Thanks. It’s nice of you to think of me for this.”

 

“You seemed like you’ve been itching to get further away from here,” Lu Han shrugs, wiping his mouth with his sleeve. “What did you say you did before this, again?”

 

Kyungsoo’s got this answer so rehearsed that at this point, it’s almost as if it’s the truth. “I was a gunner on a private security ship. But I’ve always preferred the solitude of the Outer Reaches.” It’s a simple lie, totally unembellished. People usually eat it up, and Lu Han is no exception. 

 

“I can’t sympathize,” Lu Han laughs, clapping Kyungsoo on the back, “but I can respect that viewpoint. Hopefully you’ll send me a message if you get the job, because I have the hunch that even if you don’t get it, you’re not coming back here.”

 

“Well, you’re right,” Kyungsoo says, asking the bartender for another Capital Stout. Lu Han looks at him in interest. 

 

“I don’t know how you drink that stuff,” he remarks, wrinkling his nose at the heady foam on top of Kyungsoo’s beer glass. “Well, good luck, Kyungsoo. Maybe we’ll cross paths again one day.”

 

“Maybe. Good luck to you too, Lu Han,” Kyungsoo replies, and Lu Han waves as he heads towards the couple that had been sitting next to Kyungsoo before. Kyungsoo watches as Lu Han easily sweeps the girl off her feet and the laughing man looks rather dejected. And this is how things go on BY98-EA06. Just like practically every other planet in every other zone Kyungsoo has ever visited since the Incident. Humid, crowded bars that are far too loud for Kyungsoo’s taste, and even worse, far too close to the AX Zone. He can’t wait to get to SN04-CJ12, to the Outer Reaches…

 

It wasn’t always Kyungsoo’s dream to go to the Outer Reaches. In fact, if he still had his way, he’d be in the Capital, the center of the AA Zone of the Otsoa Galaxy. He’d be living a life of luxury and comfort.

 

But he’d also be burdened with a crushing sense of guilt, and he’s not sure the wonderful amenities would make up for that. 

 

It sounds dramatic to say that the fate of the universe is in his hands, but it’s true, to a degree. The map he’s carrying is the missing piece to finding a lethal toxin that, in the wrong hands, could be disastrously destructive for the Otsoa Galaxy and possibly other galaxies as well. The map is old - very old - and it’s written in a language that has been lost for centuries. But Kyungsoo has no doubt that scientists and linguists on the Haizea Gang’s payroll would be able to solve the puzzle sooner or later, and that’s exactly why he stole the map and ran as far as he could. 

 

He’d thought about giving the map over to the authorities, but he’s not sure that’s a good idea either. They’d take the toxin, maybe they’d hide it or neutralize it somehow. But more likely, they’d use it, and then the Galaxy would be just as well off as it would be if the toxin belonged to the Haizeas. 

 

For now, he’s going to hold on to the map until he figures out what to do with it, but that means he has to keep running from the Haizeas. And the SN Zone and the Outer Reaches...well, that’s the perfect place to hide. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When he arrives at the small hangar on SN04-CJ12, Kyungsoo gets cold feet. He knows why he’s here but he wonders if this is what he wants. It’s so far from civilization, so far from anything. Kyungsoo’s used to being alone but being lonely is another matter entirely, and he’s been lonely for far too long. From the looks of it, signing onto this ship means that unless he bonds with the crew - unlikely, considering his history - Kyungsoo will be very, very lonely. He takes a deep breath, opening the door to the hangar and he looks around. It’s totally empty besides the Galactic Navy ship, but that actually strengthens his resolve. He’s never seen such an empty hangar, and that’s a good sign. It means that not many people come out here. _It’s for the best,_ he reminds himself.

 

The Galactic Navy ship is much, much smaller than Kyungsoo had expected it to be. It’s smaller than the Haizea ship he used to work on, and much smaller than the shipping barge he’d worked on before the construction site. He wonders if this ship even has a forcefield.

 

Suddenly the bay doors of the ship open and out comes a Commander, from the looks of his decorated blue uniform. “Ah! Someone came! Hello!” He waves, beckoning for Kyungsoo to approach. Kyungsoo does, and as he approaches, Kyungsoo surmises that this man is Jongin, Lu Han’s friend, and the First Mate of the ship. He has floppy brown hair and a bright smile that make him look quite handsome. 

 

“Hi!” Jongin says, “I’m Kim Jongin. I’m the First Mate of the G.N.S. Maite. I hope you’re here to apply for the Security Officer Position. We haven’t had anyone at all apply yet.” He frowns, and in his dejection, he looks like a puppy. It’s a bit cute. 

 

“Ah, yes, sir, that’s why I’m here,” Kyungsoo replies, and Jongin brightens up again. 

 

“You can just call me Jongin! What’s your name?”

 

“Kyungsoo. Do Kyungsoo.”

 

“Great! Why don’t you come into my office and we can do a quick interview and then I can offer you the job?” Jongin says, corralling Kyungsoo into the ship. 

 

“Don’t you mean so that you can see if I’m right for the job?” Kyungsoo asks quietly, and Jongin laughs. 

 

“Oops, how silly of me,” he chuckles. Kyungsoo gets the distinct feeling that he’s going to get this job whether or not the interview goes well. They walk through the ship, passing almost nobody but a few ensigns, but so far Kyungsoo doesn’t feel uncomfortable. Most ships Kyungsoo’s been on have been cold, all metal or white plastic that provide an unpleasantly sterile feeling. Not this ship. The floors seem to be made of a laminate material that looks almost like wood, and although the walls and ceilings are that same white plastic, there are tapestries and pieces of artwork hung up securely. They provide a warmth and a hominess that Kyungsoo is unused to, but it’s nice. 

 

“This is not what I expected a Galactic Navy ship to look like,” Kyungsoo remarks as they turn a corner, and Jongin smiles at him. 

 

“Well, we do work a little bit outside the Galactic Navy. They’re lax with us when it comes to rules and regulations, because we don’t actually do much Navy work. The Defense Branch has more important things to worry about than a supply ship that services the Outer Reaches. But I think all of us kind of appreciate that. We get the best of the Navy and the best of the private sector.”

 

“That sounds nice,” Kyungsoo replies, and Jongin smiles bigger. 

 

“So, are you convinced? Is this the job for you?”

 

“I’m the one applying,” Kyungsoo points out. “I don’t think you need to sell the experience to me.” Jongin is rather strange and Kyungsoo wonders whether the entire crew is like this too. 

 

“I like talking about it,” Jongin says, and he sounds completely genuine. Maybe this will be better than Kyungsoo thought. 

 

They arrive at what appears to be Jongin’s office, a broom-closet sized room that barely has the space for two chairs, let alone a desk, but somehow all three furniture items are fit snugly in the place. 

 

“Sorry about the tightness,” Jongin says, still smiling pleasantly. 

 

“Oh, it’s fine,” Kyungsoo replies politely, and Jongin seems content. 

 

“So, Kyungsoo, did you say?”

 

“Yes, sir,” Kyungsoo replies, and Jongin once again reminds him that there’s no need for formalities despite his rank. 

 

“Our Captain doesn’t like being called ‘commander’ because he thinks it can make it seem like we’re not a team. And we’re actually more than a team. It sounds cliche, I know, but we really are family here,” Jongin explains, playing with a spinning top on his desk. “Junmyeon is truly the definition of a benevolent leader. He never abuses his power. I definitely think it’s better to be loved than feared. None of us are scared of him, but we are also careful not to disappoint him. He’s amazing, really. I can’t wait for you to meet him. He’s the warmest, most caring person you’ve ever met!”

 

“I see,” Kyungsoo replies, not really absorbing Jongin’s speech because, in all honesty, he’s been told that a group is a “family” before, only to be mercilessly excluded from the group later on. He’s been told of “benevolent leaders” who have no compassion for their subordinates and he’s been told of those who never abuse their power and then continue to assert their influence at every turn. This is nothing new to him, and it’s not making a difference in whether he wants this job or not. 

 

“So, Kyungsoo, should we start the interview?” Jongin asks, taking a notebook out of his desk drawer. So they still use paper on this ship. Interesting. Kyungsoo nods as Jongin looks at him for approval and then he begins his questions. “What’s your work background like?”

 

“Latest I worked on a construction site in the AX Zone. Before that I was a gunner for a private security firm,” Kyungsoo continues using his normal lie. 

 

“Which security firm?”

 

“Azalea Security,” Kyungsoo replies, and Jongin’s eyes go wide. 

 

“Wow,” he tells Kyungsoo, “you’re the real deal.” Kyungsoo only feels slightly bad that it’s a total lie that he worked for Azalea, but he can’t exactly tell Jongin that he was actually in a gang. Not just because it’s not a great resumé item, but also because he needs to make sure he can trust Jongin first. The last thing he needs is for the Haizeas to find him and the map. 

 

“Thank you. But I don’t really like thinking of myself as the mercenary type,” Kyungsoo says, and that’s the truth. He never liked the ruthlessness and bloodthirst that all the other Haizeas seemed to have, and while he kills if he has to, he finds no joy in murder. Probably a good thing. 

 

“Well, that’s great!” Jongin replies excitedly. “So, do you want the job?” He taps his pen eagerly on the desk - doesn’t look like he wrote any notes with it. If they’re willing to give him the job, he’s going to take it, no question.

 

“Uh, sure,” Kyungsoo shrugs. Jongin grins even wider, his eyes becoming little crescents as he excitedly tells Kyungsoo all the details of the job and boasts about the captain some more. 

 

“You’re going to love him,” Jongin says, shaking Kyungsoo’s hand entirely too enthusiastically. “Everyone does.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kyungsoo does, in fact, meet the captain later that day. Jongin’s showing Kyungsoo around the ship and they pass in front of what appears to be the captain’s quarters as Junmyeon exits the suite. 

 

“Ah!” Junmyeon smiles. “Jongin, did you already hire someone?”

 

“Yes,” Jongin nods earnestly. “This is Kyungsoo, he’s our new security officer! We’ll initiate him as an ensign later tonight but for now I’m giving him a tour. You’re the first crew member he’s met! Oh, Kyungsoo, this is Junmyeon, our captain.”

 

“Thanks for joining our team!” Junmyeon smiles, shaking Kyungsoo’s hand. His hands are small and soft and warm and Kyungsoo is half focused on that and half focused on the captain’s face. He’s so handsome - Kyungsoo’s never seen anyone whose skin literally glows and whose smile feels as bright as the sun. 

 

“Thank you for welcoming me,” Kyungsoo replies a little dumbly, still too focused on how _handsome_ this man is to reply coherently. But Kyungsoo could study his face for ages. He’s sure he’s already memorized the exact color Junmyeon’s skin is, the exact shade of pink that’s just dusting his cheeks. 

 

Junmyeon smiles at Kyungsoo again before turning to Jongin. “Jongin, if you have time, could you run a test of the force field before dinner? We need to make sure it’s fully functional for when we take off tomorrow.”

 

“Of course,” Jongin replies respectfully. Kyungsoo’s kind of surprised that the captain asked Jongin to do such an important task so lightly. Kyungsoo’s used to hearing things like “go test the forcefield or I’ll cut off your dick” so “if you have time” seems rather lax. 

 

As they walk down the hall away from Junmyeon, Jongin sighs. “I really don’t want to test the forcefield,” he confides in Kyungsoo. “It’s so boring. Takes forever but you can’t leave it in case there’s a malfunction.”

 

“He didn’t seem like he needed it done urgently,” Kyungsoo points out, and Jongin laughs. 

 

“No, he does. That’s his way of saying ‘get it done now.’ He’s just too nice to threaten us. Like I said, better to be loved than feared.”

 

“I guess,” Kyungsoo replies. Sure, Junmyeon’s beautiful, but is he the type of captain who could get things done if they needed to be done? Kyungsoo’s not entirely convinced. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s not as if Kyungsoo was hopeful for friendship, but he’s a bit disappointed that after the first few days on the ship he’s still eating meals alone. He eats earlier than most of the crew, and he’s usually nearly done with his meals when the rest of them amble into the canteen. They all sit together, laughing and joking with each other. They offered a seat to Kyungsoo the first few days, but after he refused every time with a “I’m nearly done with my food, thank you though,” they’ve left him alone. He thinks maybe he should have accepted a few days ago, but now it’s just awkward. He’s taken to only eating twice a day now.

 

As the security officer, Kyungsoo is an ensign first class. Sehun, the other security guard onboard, is just an ensign, meaning that Kyungsoo is actually Sehun’s boss. But it seems like Sehun is bitter that he was passed over for the officer position, so he’s not made Kyungsoo’s lonely days on board any better. He avoids Kyungsoo during rounds and answers any questions Kyungsoo has about the forcefield or the defense system bluntly and minimally. Kyungsoo wants to scream at him, tell him that it’s not his fault that he got this job over Sehun, but he can’t. The rest of the crew seems to love Sehun and they fawn over him, and Kyungsoo doesn’t want to be pushed any more into isolation than he already is.

 

In fact, all the crew members, especially the officers, seem very close to each other. So far Kyungsoo’s met Junmyeon, Jongin, and Sehun, but he’s also very briefly met Yixing the medical officer, Jongdae the science officer, Baekhyun the communications officer, and Chanyeol the navigator. They all eat their meals together, spend time together in the evenings, even chatter on the job. Being on the bridge with them is a little bit maddening, because they all talk about various things that Kyungsoo has no idea about. 

 

But this is also the first time that Kyungsoo has really wanted to make friends. He’s never had friends on the other jobs he’s had, and the friendships he had in the gang were uneasy. Back then, a tiny misstep would end in a bullet in his head or a mysterious laser wound opening his jugular vein. He couldn’t trust anyone fully, and that made it difficult to give himself into a true friendship. These people though...they seem genuine. Kyungsoo wants to know them. He wants to sit with them and laugh and joke and chatter. 

 

But Kyungsoo doesn’t even know where to begin. He’s also scared of trusting people. What if they somehow have a connection to the gang? What if the Haizeas find him? What if all of this misery and loneliness for all these months was for nothing, and he ends up dead, asphyxiated somewhere in deep space?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Although he’s alone a lot, Kyungsoo still can’t keep his eyes off of Junmyeon. He finds himself staring at the captain while he’s on the bridge or in the canteen, and he does feel a little bit ashamed. He’s treating Junmyeon as if he’s a piece of art rather than a person to be respected, and Kyungsoo wishes he knew how to connect. 

 

But the thing about staring at someone over a long period of time is that you notice when something changes. And about two weeks into Kyungsoo’s stay on the G.N.S. Maite, Junmyeon’s started looking awfully pale. For the first few days after Kyungsoo noticed the pallor of the captain’s cheeks, Kyungsoo thought maybe it was just a normal thing, because none of the crew reacted. But on the third or fourth day, it became clear that the captain was unwell and nobody noticed. Junmyeon’s pink cheeks had become paper white except for the yellowish undertone that had begun to mar his creamy skin. His under-eye area had become dark and sullen, and even that bright smile didn’t seem to spread across his face in the same way. 

 

Kyungsoo watches as the captain tries so hard to be upbeat for the crew, attending to every little thing anyone needs and working as hard as he can to ensure the ship runs smoothly, but Kyungsoo feels sad for him. He’s clearly overworking himself and Kyungsoo’s a bit miffed that nobody else has noticed. 

 

“Good work today, everyone,” Junmyeon says at the end of the day two and a half weeks into Kyungsoo’s enlistment. “I’ll be in my quarters if anyone needs anything!” He walks confidently to the bridge elevator and gets in, but Kyungsoo doesn’t miss the way he slumps a little bit once he thinks nobody is watching him. He’s saving face, and it breaks Kyungsoo’s heart just a little. 

 

When Kyungsoo finishes his duties a few minutes later, he doesn’t go straight to his own room to spend his down time in solitude like he normally does. This time, he goes to Junmyeon’s room. 

 

He stands outside the door for a few moments, wondering if he’s being overly intrusive. Maybe Junmyeon just wants to rest. Or maybe he’s fine. Maybe it would be bad if Kyungsoo came and he’d rather see someone else. 

 

But Kyungsoo knocks anyway. “Coming,” comes Junmyeon’s weak voice. The door slides open and Junmyeon looks sickly but also incredibly surprised to see Kyungsoo. “Come in,” he says graciously anyway, and Kyungsoo follows him. The door closes behind them and Junmyeon looks like he’s walking on unstable legs. “I’d get you some tea but…”

 

“You’re ill, aren’t you?” Kyungsoo asks. “You’ve been ill for a few days now.” Junmyeon’s sitting room is so messy, blankets and half-empty cups of water sitting everywhere. There’s rubbish on the ground and on the tables and even on some chairs and it looks like the den of someone who’s been sick for far too long. Which is probably the case here.

 

Junmyeon turns around quickly, looking surprised once again. “I - no…” he attempts to convince Kyungsoo that he’s well, but suddenly it looks like he can’t keep himself up. 

 

Kyungsoo catches him as he collapses, and to Kyungsoo’s shock, Junmyeon’s body feels almost bony and his skin so dry, nothing like the warm hand he’d shaken almost three weeks ago. “Here, sit,” Kyungsoo maneuvers Junmyeon to the lounge chair, padding him with cushions. He tries to keep his cool but Kyungsoo doesn’t know how to deal with sick people. “I’m calling the medic.” He picks up Junmyeon’s communicator and Yixing answers the call, telling Kyungsoo thank you and that he’ll be there in several minutes. 

 

Kyungsoo sits down next to Junmyeon. “You shouldn’t push yourself so hard to pretend you’re not sick when you clearly are,” Kyungsoo tells him. Junmyeon laughs a little. 

 

“I think this is the most I’ve ever heard you speak. Thanks,” Junmyeon smiles, reaching his hand out to take Kyungsoo’s. “This means a lot.”

 

“I just noticed that you were looking sick and that nobody was doing anything about it, least of all you,” Kyungsoo says. 

 

“Well, for being someone who’s been alone the past few weeks, I’m pleasantly surprised you decided to do something about it,” Junmyeon admits, coughing roughly. His cough is hacking and it sounds productive, and he doubles over in pain. Kyungsoo puts a hand on his back, rubbing soothing circles almost unconsciously. 

 

“Just because I’m alone doesn’t mean I’m heartless,” Kyungsoo tells him quietly. “Are you alright?”

 

“Yes,” Junmyeon wheezes a little, but the coughing seems to have ceased. “I’m tired, but I’ll be fine.” He leans back on the lounge chair, looking up at the ceiling. “Did you really notice I was sick a few days ago?”

 

“You started looking pale. I was worried.”

 

“Thank you,” Junmyeon says again. “I’m glad Jongin decided to hire you. You’re not just a security officer it seems. Looks like you’re a man of hidden talents.” Junmyeon turns and smiles at Kyungsoo, and it’s one of his nice smiles, not one of the sickly forced ones. Kyungsoo smiles back, and Junmyeon chuckles. “Your smile is heart-shaped. That’s the first time I’ve seen you smile. It’s nice.”

 

“O-oh,” Kyungsoo stutters, not sure how to respond. 

 

He doesn’t have to, because the door shoots open again and in comes the medic, Yixing. But to Kyungsoo’s surprise, he’s also followed by Jongin, and Jongdae the science officer and Chanyeol the navigator, all of whom look extremely concerned for their leader. 

 

“Junmyeonnie!” Chanyeol cries as Yixing sits down on Junmyeon’s other side, pulling out his body scanner. “You should have told us you were sick!”

 

“Even Kyungsoo noticed before any of you did,” Junmyeon pouts as Yixing shines a beam across Junmyeon’s face and torso. 

 

“Thank you, Kyungsoo,” Yixing smiles at him. “I feel bad that none of us noticed Junmyeon wasn’t well, but you did, and I’m very grateful.” He reads the scanner as Jongdae looks over his shoulder. 

 

“Just a virus?” Jongdae asks, and Yixing nods. 

 

“Junmyeon, you just need rest and lots of fluids. Don’t overexert yourself anymore, okay? And don’t wait until Kyungsoo notices that you’re ill to get treatment next time.”

 

“Okay,” Junmyeon whines, leaning over. “I’ll rest.”

 

“I’ll clean your room first,” Chanyeol says, looking around the messy state of the suite with a wrinkled nose. He starts picking up the rubbish around the room and Jongdae helps him, emptying the cups of water and throwing away all the used tissues. Yixing reminds them to wash their hands when they leave.

 

But Jongin turns to Kyungsoo, looking extremely remorseful. “Kyungsoo, I can’t believe we didn’t notice our leader was ill. Thank you so much for coming to take care of him.” 

 

“Yes, thank you,” Junmyeon smiles. “You’ve been a big help.”

 

“Why don’t you eat dinner with us tonight?” Jongin proposes, and Chanyeol and Yixing cry out in enthusiastic agreement. Kyungsoo looks around the room, and everyone’s waiting for his answer with eager eyes. This is his opportunity to leave loneliness behind. This is his opportunity to belong. 

 

“Okay,” he smiles shyly, and the others look triumphant. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Over the next few weeks, Kyungsoo gets much closer to the crew. Jongin loves telling them all stories of his childhood in a military family that moved around to different planets every galactic year. Chanyeol, Baekhyun, and Jongdae always make everything seem exciting, bringing laughter and jokes to every situation. They hold parties in the canteen every Friday night and Jongdae makes the best Earth food Kyungsoo’s ever tasted - apparently, Junmyeon actually grew up on Earth, and he agrees that Jongdae’s cooking is totally authentic. Even Sehun has warmed up to Kyungsoo, no longer bitter that he didn’t get the officer position and instead contenting himself to live the life of minimal responsibility. They include Kyungsoo in everything they do, whether it’s Monday morning breakfast meetings or Saturday afternoon flight exercises. And it’s so much fun, surprisingly. Kyungsoo’s never had this much fun on a ship, and he’s never felt like his co-workers could actually be his friends. He’s finally happy with his life. 

 

But the best thing, the absolute best thing, is Junmyeon. As promised, he’s the type of leader Jongin had described. Calm and firm but empathetic and kind. He’s generous, handsome, hardworking - Kyungsoo can’t come up with enough positive adjectives to describe the captain. He has this amazing and inexplicable charm that Kyungsoo is so drawn to.

 

He first noticed it one night when he had awoken in the middle of rest hours, terribly thirsty and somehow hungry, even though he’d eaten six hours earlier. He had decided to go to the canteen to get a sandwich and a glass of water - it was supposed to be a quick trip. 

 

But when he got to the kitchen, he looked through the window to the dining area and there was Junmyeon, sitting at a table on the far side of the dining room. He’d had what appeared to be his captain’s logs spread out in front of him on the table, but he wasn’t looking at them. Instead, his gaze was focused out the porthole adjacent to him, staring at the stars and the infinity of the universe. He had looked distracted yet calm, and Kyungsoo feels sure he’s never seen anyone look that beautiful while distracted. 

 

Kyungsoo had watched him for a good few minutes before deciding to head back to his quarters. He hadn’t wanted to disturb the captain. And yet, Kyungsoo went back every night, whether or not he needed something from the kitchen, and sure enough, Junmyeon was there every night Kyungsoo went. He continued this habit for almost two weeks before finally mustering up the courage to go join the captain. 

 

And now, here he is, standing by the kitchen door, waiting to go into the dining room. He’s not sure he should do it - maybe Junmyeon likes the privacy. Maybe he needs the privacy. But Kyungsoo’s too enamored at this point, too intrigued by the captain to just walk back to his quarters again. 

 

He pushes the door open. 

 

Junmyeon turns, and as expected, a smile spreads across his face. “Can’t sleep?” he asks, but Kyungsoo shakes his head. 

 

“I saw you here and I wanted to keep you company. You seem…”

 

“Distracted?” Junmyeon asks, and Kyungsoo nods. Junmyeon smiles softly, pushing the captain’s logs together and stacking them into a pile. “I am, a little.”

 

“Why?” Kyungsoo asks, and Junmyeon shrugs ever so slightly. 

 

“I guess I’m thinking about why I’m doing this - don’t worry, I don’t want to quit or anything - but sometimes you have to remember your roots.” Junmyeon turns to Kyungsoo, and sighs a little bit. 

 

“Tell me?” Kyungsoo asks gently, and Junmyeon lets out a nervous laugh. 

 

“Really?” he asks, and Kyungsoo nods before he can even continue. He wants to hear Junmyeon’s story - he wants to get close to Junmyeon, to understand his motivations and his likes and dislikes. He’s so charmed by the captain. He wants to know more about him. “It’s kind of boring - are you sure?”

 

“Yes,” Kyungsoo insists, and Junmyeon looks down at his papers, suddenly a little shy. 

 

“It’s just - nobody’s asked before.” He looks up with an expression that makes it seem like he’s worried he’s already boring Kyungsoo, as if it’s normal for people not to listen to him. But Kyungsoo knows that the crew listens to their captain. So why does Junmyeon look so uncertain?

 

“Well...I’d like to hear your story, if you want to tell it,” Kyungsoo tells him, and Junmyeon’s expression changes to that of resolve. 

 

“It started when I grew up on Earth. My dad was a galactic trader. He was a great, great father. Strict, but loving. He cared about me and my mom so much. He’d go off on these long trips, sometimes for just a few weeks to the next system over, but sometimes they’d be months. The longest one I remember was almost two years. But he would always bring us back souvenirs and - of course - money. It was hard not having him home, but it helped us pay the bills, and that’s what mattered. Or at least, that’s what we thought then.” Junmyeon pauses, once again looking out the porthole. Kyungsoo doesn’t push him to continue; he just waits for Junmyeon to talk again. And he does. 

 

“Well, his trips kept getting longer and longer. After the two-year trip, he went out again a few months later. And that was the last time we heard from him. I was eleven.”

 

“What...what happened?” Kyungsoo asks quietly. 

 

“Lost in deep space, I assume. That’s what the trading company told us. He’s probably long dead - I know. But I started trading too, hoping maybe I could get some closure. It’s doubtful. But I keep hoping that if I do this long enough...maybe I’ll find him. Or I’ll find out what happened, at the very least.”

 

“I’m so sorry,” Kyungsoo says, and Junmyeon shakes his head, laughing awkwardly. 

 

“No, it’s fine,” Junmyeon replies. “It was so long ago. I think about it a lot but it’s not really painful anymore. You know what I mean?”

 

“Yeah,” Kyungsoo nods. But in his case, it should be painful. He should be constantly thinking about the Haizeas and how they could come here at any moment, ready to take back the map and kill Kyungsoo for taking it. 

 

“Well, now it’s your turn,” Junmyeon interrupts Kyungsoo’s thoughts, and Kyungsoo’s eyes go wide in spite of himself. 

 

“What?”

 

“I told you my story, now you tell me yours,” Junmyeon replies simply. He looks at Kyungsoo with a mischievous smirk, as if he knows he’s caught Kyungsoo off guard. But all Kyungsoo can think about is how handsome he looks, staring at Kyungsoo like that. 

 

And then Kyungsoo remembers that if he’s going to tell Junmyeon his story, he has two options. He could lie. It would be easy. He has an elaborate story already made up and well-rehearsed. He grew up in the DA Zone, has three brothers and two sisters. He’s worked security and construction his whole life. An everyman with no remarkable tales to tell. 

 

But for the first time, Kyungsoo is more inclined to tell the truth. Junmyeon is clearly genuine, and Kyungsoo gets the feeling that telling Junmyeon the truth could be good. It could be liberating. 

 

And so he does. 

 

“Actually,” he starts. “Um. I’ve never told anyone this, but…” He takes a deep breath. “Junmyeon, I was in a gang. For a long time.” He looks up the gauge the captain’s reaction, and understandably, Junmyeon looks shocked. But he doesn’t look angry, and that steels Kyungsoo’s resolve. “I grew up poor in the AB Zone. That’s hard. It’s hard to grow up in a Zone that’s so well-known for it’s wealth when you have nothing. Joining the gang was a way to make ends meet. It was a way to actually eat real food and wear real clothes and have a roof over my head. I just - it was my only opportunity.” As he speaks, he feels like he’s letting Junmyeon down even though Junmyeon has made no indication that he’s disappointed at all. But Kyungsoo can’t even remember how good he’d felt when he’d joined the Haizeas, because all he feels now is guilt and fear. “But they were planning on killing a lot of people. A lot of innocent people, just for control. They wanted to be these supreme leaders and I - I couldn’t let them do that. So I took their info and I ran. I ran as far as I could. I ran here. I’m sorry. You must think I’m terrible.”

 

“Why would I possibly think that?” Junmyeon replies almost immediately. “Kyungsoo, clearly you risked your life to save people that you don’t even know. That’s about the furthest thing from terrible I’ve ever heard.”

 

“I did horrible things,” Kyungsoo shudders, and Junmyeon reaches a hand across the table, letting his fingers rest on Kyungsoo’s palm. 

 

“You can’t change the past. You can only change your ways. And clearly you have.” He squeezes Kyungsoo’s hand, and it’s so calming and comforting that Kyungsoo almost forgets he has something more to say. 

 

“Please, please don’t tell any of the others. I’m not sure they’d take it as well as you did.”

 

“Okay,” Junmyeon agrees. “But can you tell me one thing?”

 

“Of course.”

 

“Which gang was it?” Junmyeon asks, and Kyungsoo bites his lip.

 

“The Haizea Gang,” Kyungsoo admits. Junmyeon closes his eyes for half a second but Kyungsoo can tell he’s slightly distressed. “I know. I know. I’m sorry.”

 

“Kyungsoo, it’s fine,” Junmyeon lets a smile appear. “Thank you for telling me.”

 

“Thank you for listening,” Kyungsoo responds, and they end up sitting together for a long time that night - sometimes talking, but mostly just watching the stars together. They finally go to bed about three hours before rest hours are meant to end, but Kyungsoo feels closer to Junmyeon than ever. 

 

They continue to meet every night. Junmyeon had suggested that maybe they plan a midnight meal together once in a while, and they do have the occasional meal. But more often than not, they just sit together, talking while they gaze out at the stars (and sometimes Kyungsoo gazes at Junmyeon). 

 

One night, Junmyeon mentions that they’re getting a new engineer - they’d lost their last one to the Galactic Air Force earlier this year. 

 

“He’s coming on Jongin’s recommendation,” Junmyeon says, grinning at Kyungsoo. “Kind of like you. So we know he has to be good.”

 

Kyungsoo blushes in spite of himself - so Junmyeon thinks he’s good. It makes Kyungsoo happier than he thought it would. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As it turns out, the new engineer is a familiar face to Kyungsoo, but that may not be a good thing. Kim Minseok used to be a Galactic Police Officer, and he’d given the Haizeas a fair bit of trouble while Kyungsoo was there. He’d arrested many of them, some underlings but also some big shots. Even Kyungsoo himself had had a close shave with Minseok, but he’d escaped. His bunkmate hadn’t been so lucky.

 

Minseok takes to the crew quickly, and if he recognizes Kyungsoo, he doesn’t let it show. He had felt a bit uneasy hearing that a new crewmember was joining, because that meant another person for Junmyeon to pay attention to. But Kyungsoo didn’t need to worry, because Minseok becomes particularly close to Jongin, which Kyungsoo is grateful for. 

 

That flicker of jealousy, that tiny inkling that maybe he’s not always going to be Junmyeon’s priority scares Kyungsoo just a little more than the possibility of Minseok recognizing him. If Minseok figures out who he is, the worst that could happen would be Junmyeon clearing up a misunderstanding - hopefully. But falling in love...well, Kyungsoo’s never done that before. He doesn’t know how to go about being in love with anyone, especially someone as utterly wonderful as Junmyeon. And besides, maybe Junmyeon’s like that with everyone. He does smile a lot, whether or not it’s at Kyungsoo. Will the captain even be interested in Kyungsoo? 

 

That thought sits in Kyungsoo’s mind for a long, long time. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He’s doing rounds a few weeks later, as he always does, and Sehun is somewhere else in the ship doing his own rounds as well. Kyungsoo doesn’t expect to find anything out of the ordinary, mostly because he never has, so far, and so he gets lost in thought thinking about Junmyeon and the fact that maybe he might be in love. 

 

It’s a troublesome thing - Kyungsoo’s not sure either of them have time for love, after all, and that thought of “will the captain even return my feelings?” still lingers heavily in Kyungsoo’s mind. 

 

He heads into the engine room, dragging his feet as he contemplates Junmyeon and the possibility of a relationship. Could they work? If it did work, it would be amazing. He has tried to keep himself from fantasising about the captain’s pink lips and creamy skin, but now he can’t help himself. Junmyeon is so handsome, so...so…

 

That was definitely a noise. The engine room is usually quiet besides the low hum of the engines, so a shuffling sound is very unusual. But it’s unmistakably shuffling. 

 

He clicks his radio on, whispering into it. 

 

“Sehun,” he says, “I heard something in the engine room.”

 

“I just heard something in the beam room,” Sehun replies, sounding a little scared as well. “I think it’s nothing but...sorry, you’re on your own for this one. Sir. Call the privates for backup if something goes wrong.”

 

“Be careful,” Kyungsoo advises, and he clicks the radio off again. Great. Just great. It could be anything - a stowaway, a Western Rubbuck Nest, maybe even a miniature giant space hamster. He hopes it’s the latter. Kyungsoo tiptoes around carefully, wary of making any noise that might signal his presence, but as he turns a corner, it’s clear that he’s got nothing to worry about on the security front, anyway.

 

The noise came from Minseok and Jongin, who are still clearly unaware of Kyungsoo’s existence as they kiss each other furiously, Minseok pinned against one of the walls, his hand in Jongin’s pants. Kyungsoo is extremely uncomfortable and he clears his throat deliberately. The lovers look up in shock, which quickly turns to embarrassment. 

 

“We were - uh, it’s just…” Jongin trails off, stepping away from Minseok and zipping his pants up. He shuffles his feet, making no eye contact with either of the others. 

 

Minseok, though, is looking straight at Kyungsoo, and though he’s flushed and his lips are a bright cherry red, his eyes are cold. 

 

“They’re looking for you,” he says, and Kyungsoo takes a step back. He feels a chill run down his spine and his hands start to shake. Jongin, too, looks up, clearly not understanding the tension in the room.

 

“Is - is that a threat?” Kyungsoo asks, and Minseok shrugs. 

 

“It’s a warning,” he replies, looking extremely somber and serious. 

 

“What? Who? Who?” Jongin asks, looking between them. 

 

“It’s a secret,” Minseok replies, pulling Jongin close again, kissing him deeply before stepping away and walking past Minseok towards the door. “Come on, Jongin, we should get back to work.”

 

They walk off, Jongin still pestering Minseok about the exchange that had just occurred, but Kyungsoo remains standing there in shock. So Minseok does know. And he knows that Kyungsoo’s being hunted. Kyungsoo should be scared - he should be terrified.

 

So why is it that the only thing Kyungsoo can think about right now is how much he wishes he could kiss Junmyeon like Minseok was kissing Jongin?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At their dinner a few nights later, Kyungsoo is full of resolve. He’s going to confess. Kyungsoo waits for Junmyeon by the canteen, long after everyone else is in bed, and after a few minutes, Junmyeon arrives right on schedule. 

 

“Hi, Kyungsoo,” Junmyeon smiles, so so sweetly, he’s beautiful. 

 

“Hi, Junmyeon,” Kyungsoo smiles back. He’s nervous, but he also feels at ease whenever Junmyeon is around. That’s a good sign, he hopes. 

 

“I made us some pasta tonight - it’s Earth food,” Junmyeon tells him, and Kyungsoo laughs. 

 

“I know what pasta is,” he replies, and Junmyeon grins at him. 

 

“I was hoping you wouldn’t because then you wouldn’t know how bad this tastes,” Junmyeon jokes, letting Kyungsoo follow him into the canteen. The pasta that Junmyeon claims is inedible actually smells amazing, and as nervous as his is, Kyungsoo is looking forward to tonight. 

 

They sit down together, at the table near the porthole that they first sat at. It’s so familiar at this point, so comfortable. They talk about many things, from food to films to friendship and Kyungsoo is so in love with the way Junmyeon laughs, the way he teases Kyungsoo or compliments his taste, or the way Junmyeon blushes when Kyungsoo compliments his. Kyungsoo feels like this is definitely flirting, and now is the time. Now’s the time. He can do it. 

 

“Um, Junmyeon,” Kyungsoo says slowly, his voice changing from a bright tone to a more serious one. Junmyeon notices the change and looks at Kyungsoo intently. “I just…” he takes Junmyeon’s hand, and Junmyeon’s eyes are bright, so bright, so eager. His hand is warm and he holds Kyungsoo’s tight, looking more excited than he’s ever seen him. This is good. “I wanted to tell you that -”

 

And then the alarms go off, and it’s not just any alarm. Those are the attack alarms. “God damn it!” Junmyeon cries, pulling Kyungsoo up by his hand. “Come help me on the bridge,” he says, and his voice has gone back to being the Captain voice. They run to the bridge, the rest of the crew frantically manning their posts, still weary with sleep. They usually have a few officers stationed at the bridge at all times, but tonight it was just Jongdae and Sehun, neither of whom know much about combat. 

 

Once they reach the bridge, Jongdae and Sehun are in complete panic mode, but in true captain fashion, Junmyeon stands ready and he directs their actions.

 

“Kyungsoo, Sehun, get on the guns! Jongdae, monitor the forcefield!” he cries. Chanyeol, Jongin, and Minseok appear on the bridge and Minseok immediately heads for the warp engine controls, but Kyungsoo doesn’t miss the narrowing of the engineer’s eyes as he passes Kyungsoo. “Chanyeol, Minseok, try to get us to warp,” Junmyeon directs. “Jongin, third gun!”

 

Baekhyun and Yixing finally arrive, Baekhyun still in his night clothes, but he looks ready to do his work. Yixing stands by, looking worried, but Kyungsoo doesn’t have much time to think about being worried right now. 

 

“Baekhyun, call the Navy for backup,” Junmyeon orders. “Get ready to engage!” he warns, and the gunners prepare the firearms. Kyungsoo’s heart is thumping in his chest - he’s been in battles before, many of them - but he’s terrified this time, because this time he has so many reasons to want to live and to want the ship to escape unharmed. He’s scared, looking out the front window, just waiting for something to appear. It could be anyone. Pirates, an enemy galaxy’s navy, a rogue member of their own force. But Kyungsoo has a feeling that it’s worse than that. 

 

“Junmyeon, there’s nobody in this sector,” Baekhyun cries, his tone shaky. “It’ll take at least another few galactic minutes for any Navy ship or Air Force jet to get here.”

 

“We could be obliterated by then!” Jongin yells, shooting a blast of the gun into space. 

 

“It’s okay, we can do this. We can do this. Forcefield status update, Jongdae!”

 

“Forty-eight percent down,” Jongdae replies, frantically trying to find some way to make the forcefield stronger, and Junmyeon curses under his breath. 

 

“Minseok, warp update!” he cries, turning to his other side. 

 

“Still trying!” Minseok says, his brow furrowed in intense concentration. “Something seems to be wrong…as if the warp has been tampered with…” he shoots a glare back at Kyungsoo, but Kyungsoo doesn’t know anything about that. 

 

“Fifty-seven percent down,” Jongdae updates. “Fuck, I don’t think I can do anything at this point,” he cries. 

 

“Minseok, keep trying. Chanyeol, turn us around. We’re going to fight back.” Junmyeon gets up and rushes over to the navigation system, where Chanyeol is turning the ship around to face the attackers. 

 

“Junmyeon, that will give them easy access to take down the forcefield!” Jongdae tells him, but the captain shakes his head. 

 

“It’s coming down anyway,” he replies, and then he turns to Kyungsoo and the others. “Guns ready!”

 

And when they turn to face the attackers head on, Kyungsoo’s worst nightmares become realized. It’s the Haizea Gang. 

 

“Fire when ready!” Junmyeon cries, and Kyungsoo fires immediately. He’s ready. He’s always ready to take these bastards down. 

 

“Seventy-two percent down!” Jongdae cries. “Keep firing!”

 

“Warp update!”

 

“Warp’s down, Junmyeon,” Minseok calls. “It’s down, we’re not getting out of here!” Kyungsoo curses, shooting at the Haizea ship as fast as he can. The others are shooting too, probably with more accuracy, but Kyungsoo’s furious. He’s scared and furious and he’s running mostly on adrenaline. 

 

“Ninety percent down!”

 

“Keep firing!”

 

“A nearby navy ship can make it here in thirty galactic minutes,” Baekhyun updates. 

 

“Keep firing! Tell them to come.”

 

“Ninety-six percent down! Should we try to retreat?”

 

“Keep firing!”

 

Jongdae doesn’t have to tell them that the force fields are completely down because they can hear the screams of the crewmembers elsewhere on the ship as the attackers manage to beam inside. “Fuck,” Junmyeon says. “Get up, everyone, get armed, get ready to fight! Jongin, Minseok, A sector. Kyungsoo, Sehun, B sector. I’ll take C sector with Baekhyun and Jongdae. Chanyeol, you go protect Yixing. Go! Now!”

 

“Junmyeon -” Kyungsoo tries to plead as they all rush out of the bridge room. 

 

“Kyungsoo, now, I said,” Junmyeon replies, and though his tone is stern and calm, his eyes are clearly full of panic. And with that, he’s pushed out into the hallway and he and Sehun race to the B sector.

 

The B sector seems generally unharmed so far, but he can hear the bangs and shouts from the A sector - and he’s about to rush over there with Sehun when he hears a loud blast.

 

“MINSEOK!” comes Jongin’s cry. “No, Minseok! Minseok!” he screams, and soon the sounds of the blasts have subsided and all they can hear is Jongin screaming. Sehun looks at Kyungsoo, and Sehun looks deathly pale. 

 

“He’s...fine, right?” Sehun whispers, and Kyungsoo can’t think of how to answer that. He doesn’t need to, though, because they get a radio message from Chanyeol.

 

“I can’t get to the A sector!” he cries in distress. “I need to get over there but I can’t - too much fighting going on in the C sector - I can’t -”

 

And then his radio goes dead. “Sehun,” Kyungsoo says in a panic. He has to find Junmyeon. He has to find him, make sure he’s okay, he has to help him. “Sehun, go to the A sector. Help Jongin with Minseok...Minseok’s…” he can’t bring himself to say the words. He wonders if Minseok died resenting Kyungsoo. He wishes he could have proven to Minseok that he’s not a traitor, that he never wanted this. 

 

But he has to find Junmyeon and make sure that he doesn’t have to think those same thoughts about the man he loves. 

 

Sehun runs off in the A direction while Kyungsoo heads towards the C direction, chanting Junmyeon’s name over and over again. 

 

But the gang finds Kyungsoo first. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“So where is it,” the masked man asks him calmly, but Kyungsoo knows it’s not a casual request. 

 

“I’m not telling you,” Kyungsoo spits, trying to loosen the restraints they have on him. “I’ll never tell.”

 

The masked man shrugs in feigned defeat. “I guess,” he says, walking in circles around Kyungsoo’s chains, “we’ll just have to keep attacking the Navy ship then - seems like you don’t care about them too much, huh?”

 

Kyungsoo’s first instinct is to hurt the man - seriously hurt him - but Kyungsoo can’t do that because of the restraints. But he can’t bear the thought of Junmyeon getting hurt or killed, possibly. He hates to think that any of the others should suffer because of him and yet here they are, Minseok dead, the others probably injured. Kyungsoo’s heart hurts. If he hadn’t taken the map, the others would still be okay. They’d be fine right now and Kyungsoo would probably still be in the gang, doing their bidding but at least...at least Junmyeon...would be safe. If the gang had the map, at least Junmyeon would be safe. 

 

“Fine,” he mutters, lowering his head in shame. He hadn’t wanted to admit defeat but if this is the only way, then that’s what he has to do. “I buried it a long time ago, in the AG Zone. The safe requires a full body scan, so don’t even think about hurting me.”

 

“I know you’re bluffing,” the man replies, looking into Kyungsoo’s eyes and straight into his soul. “But we’re benevolent with our own members - even traitors, yes - so we’ll be nice to you.” His tone is sly and icy, and Kyungsoo wants so badly to look away, but he can’t let him know that he really is bluffing. The map is hardly buried at all, let alone in a safe with a full body scan. Kyungsoo’s terrified of what’s going to happen to him when they find it, because he knows for sure that they’re not as benevolent as they say. 

 

The man leaves Kyungsoo alone in his cell, and Kyungsoo feels like breaking down. After all of this, he’s still with the Haizeas. He’s still one of them. He caused people to get hurt, to get killed. He caused them to lose friends and lovers and strength and resources. He’s no better than a Haizea. Once a criminal, always a criminal. He can’t imagine what Junmyeon thinks of him now, if he’s still alive. Does he think Kyungsoo was a burden? That would be alright. Kyungsoo hopes Junmyeon doesn’t think Kyungsoo betrayed them. He hopes that Junmyeon knows how he felt about him. He hopes Junmyeon can still see the good in him. Because Kyungsoo can’t see it in himself at all. He caused so much pain to so many people. How can he possibly consider himself a good person now? He even gave away the map’s location. What else is there for Kyungsoo?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They find the map after several days. Kyungsoo gets a beating when they find out the full body scanner was a bluff after all, but surprisingly, they let Kyungsoo live. He remains in his cell, body and mind broken, but he’s alive. It hurts more than being dead - Kyungsoo almost wishes they’d just killed him. 

 

It doesn’t matter, he figures, since they’ll all be dead anyway when the Haizeas find the toxin - and they will, as soon as they decrypt the map. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kyungsoo is awarded an unexpected “honor” a few days later. The Captain, the leader of the Haizea gang comes to meet him. Even when he was in the gang, Kyungsoo had never met The Captain. The Captain only met with important gang members, business partners, and on occasion, the unfortunate prisoner. 

 

When he walks in, Kyungsoo is struck by how handsome the man is. Despite his hardened features, the scars on his cheeks and the scowl on his lips, he has eyes that could be soft if they weren’t so cold. In a momentary lapse of common sense, Kyungsoo’s almost inclined to say that The Captain looks just like Junmyeon. 

 

Maybe that’s because Junmyeon is the only person Kyungsoo wants to see right now. Junmyeon’s been haunting Kyungsoo’s dreams at night and his thoughts during the day. He’s so scared for him. 

 

“So, you’re the one who stole the map,” The Captain says, interrupting Kyungsoo’s desperate internal plea for this to all be a bad dream.

 

Kyungsoo doesn’t respond. 

 

“You’re the one who caused all this trouble. Three Galactic years and now I’m finally getting back what’s rightfully mine. You’re sorry, aren’t you? You feel so bad about all this that you’re willing to stay here, in this cell, until you rot, isn’t that right? I’d have to consider accepting your apology, but I am a very caring man,” he drawls, sounding absolutely disingenuous. 

 

But his voice sounds like Junmyeon’s too, and Kyungsoo thinks he must be delirious, hearing Junmyeon’s voice on this undoubtedly evil man. It’s an insult to Junmyeon to think so. 

 

“Are you listening?” The Captain says slowly. “You want to apologize, don’t you?”

 

Kyungsoo knows that replying impudently could result in more beatings - his ribs haven’t yet healed and even breathing hurts a little. So “Yes, sir,” is his reply, eyes averted and voice low.

 

The Captain smiles, and his smile - again, it reminds Kyungsoo of Junmyeon. This is not right. “I’m willing to hear your apology then,” The Captain says, still with that insincere voice. That, at least, is a tone Kyungsoo could never imagine coming out of Junmyeon’s mouth. 

 

“I’m sorry, sir. I’ll stay here forever as an apology,” he mumbles, and that seems to be enough for The Captain.

 

“Excellent. Enjoy, Kyungsoo,” The Captain smiles again, and he leaves Kyungsoo in peace - or at least, the most peace Kyungsoo can enjoy while he’s plagued with these horrible thoughts. 

 

But along with the pain and self-hatred comes a new thought, one that maybe scares him more than the other thoughts do right now. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The crew aboard the ship has a celebratory outing a week or so later when they decrypt another part of the map. They dock on some planet that nobody bothers to identify for Kyungsoo, and they head off, presumably to go get drunk. Even the guard in front of Kyungsoo’s cell leaves for the day. Kyungsoo’s still locked in, though, and he’s kept in by an eye scanner that apparently only The Captain can unlock. He lolls around in the cell, staring at the ceiling like he does every day of every week. He’s certain he’s going to go crazy, being left in here for so long. Maybe that’s why they’re doing this instead of killing him. They want him to walk down a tortuous path, attempting to balance his sanity and insanity before he finally succumbs. 

 

He hopes he doesn’t notice when he goes crazy.

 

At first when he hears the sirens, he thinks maybe that’s a first sign of mental instability.

 

But no, those really _are_ sirens. They’re the intruder sirens. 

 

But Kyungsoo doesn’t exactly care. It’s not like any intruder can get to him anyway, and even if they do, he doesn’t think it’ll make much of a difference. He’ll be locked in this cell forever, no matter what happens, until The Captain comes to get him out. 

 

That is, until he hears frantic screaming. He bolts up, pressing his face against the plexiglass door of his cell, trying to figure out what’s being said. But this feels like something. He can’t make out the words for several long minutes until finally he hears what is unmistakably Junmyeon’s voice. 

 

“Find him, Baekhyun!” Junmyeon is screaming, and Kyungsoo starts to bang on the door. 

 

“I’m here! Junmyeon! Junmyeon!” he cries, yelling as loud as he possibly can, hoping that it’ll be enough. He needs them to hear him, find him, get him the _fuck_ out of here. “Junmyeon! Baekhyun, somebody, I’m here! I’m here in the cell block! Cell block A! Cell block A!”

 

He thinks he’s actually going to be trapped here forever when finally, finally someone appears. 

 

It’s Minseok. 

 

“Minseok! I thought you - I thought -” Kyungsoo stutters, because Minseok is _alive_. He’s _alive_. 

 

“Kyungsoo, how do I open this cell?” Minseok asks, ignoring Kyungsoo’s obvious shock and instead inspecting the lock on the cell door. 

 

“It’s an eye scanner - Minseok, I thought you died. During the attack. I heard Jongin screaming.”

 

“Yeah, I thought I died too,” Minseok replies, leaning in to look at the eye scanner more closely. “I was out for two weeks. Kyungsoo, I have to apologize. I thought you betrayed us. But Junmyeon and the others insisted you would never. And I guess now...I guess they were right. I’m sorry.”

 

“It’s okay,” Kyungsoo nods.

 

“Also, uh,” Minseok says, and he steps away from the scanner for a moment, looking straight at Kyungsoo. “I think the Captain of the gang is -”

 

“Junmyeon’s father?” Kyungsoo surmises, and Minseok closes his eyes, sighing deeply. He nods ever so slightly, and he frowns. 

 

“This isn’t good,” he says, looking back at the scanner. “Kyungsoo, I don’t think I can get you out. Hang tight. I’m going to find help.”

 

“Be careful!” Kyungsoo calls, but Minseok is already gone. Kyungsoo paces his tiny cell. What if they’re not safe? What if they get hurt? What if Junmyeon -

 

“Kyungsoo!” comes Junmyeon’s voice, and suddenly Junmyeon’s there in front of him. “Kyungsoo, we’re going to get you out of here.”

 

“Junmyeon, oh my god, you’re okay,” Kyungsoo breathes. “You’re okay.”

 

“Well, sort of,” Junmyeon replies, terse. He looks behind him briefly before turning back to the scanner. “They’re back. The gang. They’re fighting as we speak.”

 

“How are you going to -” but Kyungsoo doesn’t have time to finish his sentence as Junmyeon lines his eyes up to the scanner. The scan processes, and suddenly Kyungsoo hears a clang and the door is open.

 

“So he really is my father…” Junmyeon mumbles, but Kyungsoo takes his shoulders and holds them tight. It feels so wonderful to be able to touch Junmyeon again after so long. 

 

“Junmyeon. I love you,” he says, because those are the only words in his mind right now. He can’t think of anything else. And when Junmyeon beams back, despite the blaster beams coming in and narrowly missing them, Kyungsoo feels like he could die happy. 

 

Of course, he’d prefer not to die. So they fight back, instead.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The battle is rough. Though the gang members are mostly all inebriated, they still have many more men and it makes fighting their way off the ship very difficult. Jongin and Sehun are both injured, Kyungsoo’s barely able to walk because of his still tender ribs, and Junmyeon seems to be fighting an internal battle as well. Despite how hard they’re fighting back, the Navy men are losing the battle, and Kyungsoo’s inclined to think they might all meet their ends here. 

 

The Captain is in the middle of the battle, fighting and actually _laughing_ gleefully as Minseok tries to escape the blasts. 

 

Kyungsoo looks over at Junmyeon, who’s wearing a furious expression. He’s sweating like mad, and his brows are furrowed. He looks angrier than Kyungsoo thought he could look, and he’s yelling at his men to protect themselves. 

 

Suddenly he seems to break. “Hey!” he cries, looking straight at The Captain. “I’m your son! I’m Kim Junmyeon!”

 

All the fighting stops for a split second - everyone’s shocked, The Captain most of all. 

 

Kyungsoo acts. He doesn’t wait for even a moment before shooting his blaster, the hit landing squarely on The Captain’s knee. He crumples only slightly, but he’s incapacitated and it gives the Navy men time to react faster than the Gang men. In a matter of seconds they have the advantage, and Junmyeon towers over his father, glaring at the man he’d once admired. 

 

“Are you going to kill me then?” Junmyeon’s father asks, frowning at his son. 

 

“Why did you do this? Why did you become like this?” Junmyeon asks in reply, but The Captain makes no motion to answer. He just stares defiantly, knowing full well he’s completely at Junmyeon’s mercy. Kyungsoo looks between them.

 

“Decide what to do,” Kyungsoo whispers, and Junmyeon bites his lip. He’s clearly conflicted, though he doesn’t want to show it, and Kyungsoo understands completely. This is a man Junmyeon had admired and loved for his entire childhood. He’s the reason all of Junmyeon’s space travels began. And now he’s someone who Junmyeon clearly can’t admire or love anymore, but the past doesn’t change. Nobody can change how they felt about someone or something in the past, and it’s hard to have your feelings flip so suddenly. Kyungsoo understands. 

 

“Killing you would be cruel,” Junmyeon finally says, very quietly. “I’m not going to be cruel. I’m not going to be like you. I’m going to let the law handle you. I’m going to leave you in the hands of justice, because I do not work outside the law, unlike you.”

 

“Don’t be a fool,” his father hisses. “You’re exactly like me. Look at yourself.”

 

Junmyeon doesn’t respond. “Baekhyun,” he says instead. “Call the police of this planet. Have them take these men away.” Junmyeon walks off, alone, and Kyungsoo doesn’t follow. He needs to have time to think without interference. 

 

And besides, Kyungsoo needs to help put away the men who treated him so badly this entire time. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The gang members are put in jail, and the map is recovered. They send the map through a hypershuttle to the capital, and though Kyungsoo doesn’t trust the government much more than he trusts the gang, he’s happy to have the thing out of his hair. It’s not his responsibility anymore, and he’s grateful for that. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Junmyeon isn’t in the canteen when Kyungsoo goes, but Kyungsoo doesn’t want to be alone right now. Instead, he goes to Junmyeon’s suite and knocks. 

 

The door slides open and Junmyeon looks tired and pale, but he smiles at Kyungsoo when he enters. “You look better,” he says, eyeing the bandages peeking through Kyungsoo’s shirt. 

 

“Yixing bandaged up my ribs pretty well,” Kyungsoo nods, looking around. The room is messy again, but Kyungsoo gets the feeling that’s just how Junmyeon is. And that’s okay. “Are you alright?” he asks, and Junmyeon sighs, sitting down on the sofa. Kyungsoo joins him. 

 

“I just...this is going to sound so stupid but I started all this because of him. I loved my father. I loved my family. I wanted to find him. I wanted to bring him home, to be the hero he’d always been to me. And then...how did it end up this way?” Junmyeon looks at Kyungsoo, his eyes brimming with tears. “He was a great father. A great husband. How did he turn out like that? How could he? All of the things I’ve worked for were for him, in a way, and now I feel like I’ve wasted my life on someone who doesn’t deserve it. But he could deserve it. Maybe I could have changed him. Maybe there’s something I could have done to fix him. Maybe there’s something I could have done when I was a kid so that he wouldn’t have left. And - and Kyungsoo...what if I become like him?” He looks scared, his irises trembling, and Kyungsoo immediately takes his hands. 

 

“You won’t. I promise you, you won’t. He may have been a good father and a good husband, but Junmyeon, people don’t just become evil like that. It may have been brewing for a long time. We’ll never know. But I assure you, you are not him. After all, you’ve been working for a great cause. And even though you say you worked this hard to find your father, it’s clear you also care about the work you do. And you have a family here. We’re your family. You don’t need him because you have us. You’re enough. You’ll always be enough.” 

 

Junmyeon closes his eyes, taking a deep breath and looking straight at Kyungsoo when he opens them again. 

 

“You said you loved me,” he says gently, turning Kyungsoo’s hands in his own. “Was that true?”

 

“Yes,” Kyungsoo replies simply. Ever so slowly, watching Junmyeon’s eyes flutter closed, he puts a hand on Junmyeon’s face and leans in, kissing the soft pink lips he’s stared at many a time. Junmyeon kisses back, his kisses full of sweetness and adoration and it really does feel right. It feels like now, a future together is possible. 

 

“I love you too,” Junmyeon whispers, leaning on Kyungsoo and humming contentedly. Kyungsoo smiles, nuzzling against Junmyeon’s face. 

 

Junmyeon falls asleep on Kyungsoo’s shoulder that night after long hours of talking to each other. 

 

And as Kyungsoo’s eyes are beginning to droop, something catches the last remnants of his vision. There’s a memo on the table, addressed to the rest of the officers but clearly never sent. 

 

“Find Kyungsoo AT ANY COST,” it reads, and then in smaller letters, “because I think he was going to tell me he loves me and I need to say it back.” The paper looks like it’s been crumpled and unfolded many times over, as if it had constantly been in Junmyeon’s hands during Kyungsoo’s absence. 

 

Kyungsoo looks down at the sleeping captain and he smiles. 

 

So this is what it feels like to belong.


End file.
